


Burn

by SomethingAboutAMagpie



Series: Harringrove Ficlets [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy really only drinks beer, Gen, M/M, and then Steve shares his whiskey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 14:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14167104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomethingAboutAMagpie/pseuds/SomethingAboutAMagpie
Summary: We never see Billy touch anything other than beer to drink, and Steve had a flask in season 1, so it leads me to believe that Billy hasn't had any hard liquor before. It was a silly idea, and I really wanted to write it.





	Burn

The first time Billy had seen Steve's flask was at a kegger.

Harrington had seemed a little disappointed when he'd found out that Jeremy had only managed to get his hands on beer and nothing else, and was even more surprised when no one else had brought anything stronger. Billy had just come from a keg stand (beating his own record as well, thank you very much), when he'd initially heard Steve's complaint.

He hadn't wanted to admit it to his face, but Billy had never had anything stronger. Sure, he imagined he'd like hard liquor, himself, had heard good things about whiskey and vodka from the musicians he liked, but, living with Neil kind of made it hard to raid the liquor cabinet. His dad kept a very close eye on his alcohol, and the idea of what he'd do if he caught Billy stealing some was a road he had no desire to go down.

So, when Steve had drawn the black flask from his jacket pocket, Billy found himself _very_ intrigued. He watched, eyes trained on the other boy's Adam's apple, as he took a heavy drink. He was surprised when Steve pulled the container away from his lips after that single sip, eyes squeezed shut, and took a sharp breath through his nose.

Billy raised an eyebrow. Surely, it couldn't burn _that_ much, right? He was sure, if he was the one with the flask, he'd be able to drink more, and with less of a pained look on his face.

Steve glanced over at Billy and, with a small grin, offered the flask. "Jack?" He waited for Billy to close a hand around the container. "It's cheap whiskey, but it does the job."

Billy wrinkled his nose, smirking. "Yeah, I know," he lied, raising the flask to his nose to give it an experimental sniff. The sharp scent made his eyes widen, but otherwise, he kept his cool, not one to let on that he, Billy Hargrove, keg stand champ, had never once in his life tried any whiskey.

Steve made a motion with his hand. "Then go for it. I've got a whole bottle back in my room at home."

Not needing a second offer, Billy brought the flask to his lips and took a deep sip. He regretted the amount of alcohol he'd tried to drink immediately. It sent a burning sensation through his throat and into his nose. He nearly dropped the container on the grass, if Steve hadn't reached out quickly to take it from him as soon as he'd seen Billy's reaction.

Coughing behind his forearm, Billy felt his face heat up, and whiskey dribbled from his nostrils. He wiped at it furiously with his jacket sleeve. He hadn't expected the taste, like rubbing alcohol mixed with bile, to be so strong. Not the easy way that Harrington took his shot. He could still feel his throat and his nasal cavities burning, his eyes watered.

Steve gave a sympathetic smile, obviously trying to keep himself from laughing. "So, I'm guessing...you've never had Jack before?" He took another pull from the flask and swallowed. "It's not a good first drink." The statement sounded almost like he was trying to give Billy a reason not to be embarrassed, but it didn't wipe the shameful blush from his face. All he could be thankful for was that they were in an isolated corner of the yard, where the lights barely touched, and that only Steve had been there to witness his incredible downfall.

Billy raised his watery eyes, finally, to look at Steve. "Fuck you. That shit was _horrible_. Why would anyone willingly drink that?" He coughed again, suddenly wishing he had a beer to wash down the taste with.

Steve shrugged. "To get drunk?" He closed up the flask and stashed it back into his pocket. "That's all whiskey's really good for. If you want to enjoy something, rum and amaretto are your friends. They're both pretty sweet."

Billy gave a short laugh, looking away. "I'll keep that in mind," he muttered.

Steve glanced around the party awkwardly. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and brought one to his mouth. "Wanna...come to my place, give something different a try? My parents have basically everything, and they never notice if it goes missing. Hell, they have half their bottles in triplicate, since they never remember what they already have at home. I'm sure they wouldn't notice anything missing."

Billy's eyebrows raised at the offer, and he took the cigarette he'd stashed behind his ear to light up. "What are we waiting for?" He drew a long breath in, smiling, as he patted his jacket pocked for keys. "Lead the way, _King_ Steve."


End file.
